I had my thyroid checked two or three years ago I believe, pre-Celiac diagnosis. I've had cold hands and feet since childhood, I always just figured my circulation was bad. The joint pain has been less painful the last couple days but I seem to brusising really easily althought it doesn't hurt that much. But I have bruises in odd places where I never bruise. I just feel like something is still sort of out of whack but I can't tell what it is. I might just be stressed and tired, I really don't know.
Abby, what do you mean by connective tissue disease? My hands do tend to turn white when I get cold and recently have been getting cold unevenly. My right hand will be cold while my left is still warm.

I agree with you mytummyhurts, I'm not looking to rush into a major health problem diagnosis. I just really want to know why my body is behaving in a way that doesn't match my age. I'm too young to feel like this! As far as my hands, I don't have great circulation and often have cold hands and feet, even when the rest of me isn't cold. I'm not sure if they turn white or not but they are often cold. Any suggestions on how to prod my doctor in the right direction to help me? I'm afraid even now that if I get a diagnosis they aren't going to be able to do anything to help me. I just would like to avoid hurting anymore.

Thanks guys. I had my appointment today and wasn't too impressed by my new doctor. She wasn't very familiar with Celiac at all which disappointed me. However she did take blood and is going to run some tests to see if I am anemic or have rheumatoid arthritis. I'm not feeling all that confident about getting answers but we'll see. Thanks for your replies . . . I would appreciate any other suggestions you have.

Heya guys. For the last two weeks I've been having on again off again pain in my ankles, knees, and shins. Today my right wrist and elbow joined in and I'm starting to get concerned. I'm 18 with no other medical problems except for Celiac and lactose sensitivity. I've been gluten free for a year and a half and have sufferred from leg cramps for a while and started taking Calcium to help with those. I have been off the calcium for a while because I'm meeting with a new doctor this Friday and was hoping they could test me for vitamin deficencies to figure out if Calcium is really my problem. Do you think it is a vitamin thing that is causes my joints to ache? It has been getting progessively worse in a short time period. Have any of you experienced similar pain or have an explanation? I would appreciate your answers and hope my doctor will have some ideas too, it is starting to make it difficult to function normally. Thanks!

You might be a Celiac when you . . .
-carry some type of medication with 24/7 (ie Immodium)
-at least once a day smile and say, "Sorry, I can't have that"
-have been lectured on your crazy dieting and told to just forget about your weight
-have survived for some period of time solely on rice or peanut butter
-physically flinch at the feel of bread or similar product
-feel nauseous at the sight of some gluten filled food
AND
-have mastered the art of passing gas in public

Hi Karen. Both of my mother's sisters are diagnosed Celiacs, one after being sick for five years and living with a feeding tube. My father's mother is an undiagnosed celiac. All my heritage goes back to eastern European. I'm half Irish and overall just a pale white gal. My doctor listened to my symptoms and was very understanding, he actually believed me. It was a first and highly appreciated. I encourage you to keep looking around for a doctor who will listen to you and not fight you. Maybe you can find Celiacs in your area who could give you a recommendation? I live in California, not too far from LA.

I also do not have a formal diagnosis but was able to find a gastroenterologist who listened to me and agreed that my symptoms and family history fit with celiac disease. He did not ask my to go back on gluten after being off for four months and formally included the diagnosis in my medical record. Good luck with diagnosis, try not to get too discouraged.

Richard, your reply confuses me. I know I don't react topically but I know my aunt does react from stepping on crumbs and has to wear gloves while working with gluten. Can you explain to me why that would be an allergic reaction instead of auto-immune? And as for as arguing for a topical reaction, couldn't gluten get into your system through your nose, mouth, eyes or cuts? It would seem logically possible to me.

Some Celiacs can be very sensitive topically. My aunt can have reactions from getting crumbs under her feet or just touching bread. However; a lot of people don't react from simply touching gluten items but it can be absorbed through the skin.

Wonderful to hear from you again! I wondered where everyone had gone. Lassens is helping us to set up the support group. We had a meeting there a month ago where my aunt, mom and I all spoke. This time I think it is just my aunt, all in the family. I would love to see you there, I more than likely will be. I'll see what I can do about the email, I don't know why it wouldn't go through.

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Celiac.com was founded in 1995 by Scott Adams, author of Cereal Killers, founder and publisher of Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, and founder of The Gluten-Free Mall, who had a single goal for the site: To help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed and living a happy, healthy gluten-free life!